A big one this month – Chaucer’s 14th-century masterpiece. Please join me for a long but much revered pilgrimage
The Canterbury Tales has come out of the hat and will be the reading group choice for September. First off: don’t be alarmed! I admit that my initial thoughts could be roughly translated into Middle English as “develes ers” – but the more I think about it, the more I like this challenge. I’ve overcome my initial disappointment that I was going to have to tackle a massive slab of foundational literature instead of sinking into a light holiday read. Now I think it’s going to be a blast as well as an opportunity to experience an important cultural milestone.
You don’t need me to tell you that it doesn’t get much bigger than Chaucer: a poet who didn’t just inspire everyone who came after him, but who also helped shape the very language we speak. Despite his undeniable influence, if you’re anything like me, you might have only read a few lovely lines about the zephyrs of spring and some less lovely ones about rear ends. I have a vague notion that his great final poem is about a group of pilgrims whiling away their time on a pilgrimage to Canterbury by telling each other stories.
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